Miami Marlins pitcher Mat Latos is now a Los Angeles Dodger. As part of a 13-player trade, he was shipped to the West Coast today, meaning he’s inheriting a team with far more run support to add to his wins column.
The Dodgers are only ranked No. 14 in Major League Baseball in runs scored, with 423 runs this year. However, the Marlins are toward the bottom of MLB with 364 runs scored, ranking them 27th. Latos’ run support this year has been the worst of his career at 3.2 runs per game.
During the past three seasons, he’s received an average of 4.5 runs per game.
His run support should increase, as evident by Dodger ace Clayton Kershaw’s run support during his career, which is 4.2. During this season, Kershaw is receiving 4.1 runs per start.
It’s not just the new team for Latos, but lately, he’s been good. Since returning from the disabled list on June 13, he’s turned in one clunker, which was on June 24 against St. Louis when he allowed five earned runs in seven innings.
Despite that start, he’s allowed no more than three runs in six of his seven starts. He’s averaging 6.1 strikeouts per start during that run, including the last three games where he has totaled 19 strikeouts. His overall ERA at 4.48 doesn’t tell the story of what he’s turned in during the last month-and-a-half.
He’s owned in some fantasy baseball leagues, but he isn’t owned in the majority of fantasy baseball leagues. He’s worth a roster spot off the waiver wire.
